District administration gears up for Wednesday's bandh

EOI, DARJEELING, 27 Sep 2016: Ahead of the 12-hour strike on Wednesday, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today said it did not want confrontation and appealed to the Trinamool Congress and the Gorkha National Liberation Front to maintain peace while urging the district administration to remain unbiased.

Briefing newsperson in Darjeeling, GJM assistant general secretary Binay Tamang claimed the TMC was using the state machinery to thwart tomorrow’s bandh and create panic by holding rallies and sloganeering. “The Bengal government is issuing draconian orders to instill fear among its employees in the hills, while the TMC is using the police to intimidate shopowners, restaurants and vehicle syndicates. TMC activists and leaders are creating panic by their slogans and rallies in various places across the Hills,” he said.

Tamang appealed to TMC and GNLF activists to maintain peace on Wednesday. “We want to tell the TMC and GNLF that we are only expressing our grievances. We don’t want any confrontation.

We are against the state government's domination and suppression of the hills,” he said. The GJM leader also thanked the GNLF for postponing its public meeting in Darjeeling tomorrow.

“We appreciate the decision of the GNLF to defer their proposed public meeting tomorrow,” Tamang said.

M.G. Subba, the GNLF Darjeeling sub-division convener, confirmed of postponing tomorrow’s public meeting, but said his party’s padyatra for the Sixth Schedule demand would go ahead. “Looking at the prevailing situation, we have decided to postpone tomorrow’s public meeting in Darjeeling. Our padyatra (foot-march) though, will take place as planned,” he said. The student’s wing of the GNLF started a padyatra from a week back raise awareness of the Sixth Schedule demand of the party. Tomorrow, 15 GNSF members will walk to Darjeeling from Kurseong.

When asked about the high court order directing the state government to maintain normalcy in the hills, the GJM assistant secretary said, “We have only come to know about it through various news channels. But we have not received any copy of the HC order."

HIll TMC leaders said they would bring supporters to the streets tomorrow. “We will deploy picketers in town and the tea gardens tomorrow. We want an account of the Rs 4,000 crore given to the GTA and not bandhs. The hills should remain peaceful and development must take place,” said J.B. Tamang, assistant general secretary of the Darjeeling District Tea Employees and Workers' Union, an affiliate of the TMC.

The district administration meanwhile, today assured the public of safety through the public address system throughout the day. “We have made strict arrangements for tomorrow. We have spoken to various associations and institutions to remain open tomorrow. We also have the high court order with us,” said Anurag Srivastava, the Darjeeling district magistrate.

Darjeeling SP Amit Javalgi said adequate security would be deployed tomorrow to maintain peace. “We will deploy security in sensitive areas while additional forces will placed in the streets. We appeal to  the political party calling the bandh to take it back as a closure will hamper the tourism season,” he said.

The TMC organised an anti-bandh rally in Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Kurseong. The GJM also conducted a rally in Kalimpong but there were no reports of any untoward incidents.